Fire-extinguisher



(No Model.)

I. M. BEOKFORD & E. O. OOVELL. FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

No. 430,822. Patented June 24, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. BECKFORD AND EDGAR C. COVELL, OF LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,822, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed February 14, 1888. Serial No. 264,042. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

3e it known that we, FRANK M. BEoKFoRD and EDGAR C. OOVELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers for Railroad-Car Heaters, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements in fire-extinguishers for ear heaters or stoves, having for its obj ect the provision of new and improved highly efflcient means for readily extinguishing the fire in a car-heater in the event of a collision or derailment.

The invention comprises upper and lower receptacles containing water or chemicals capable of being applied to a fire both above and below, and also the detail construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

111 the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a vertical sectional view of a car-heater, showing our invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line w as, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4c are enlarged detail views of the valve and its tripping mechanism. Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form thereof. Fig. (i is a plan view of said figure. Fig. 7 is a detail.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a stove or heater, and a a lower base or receptacle provided with an inlet-tube a for feeding water or chemicals to said base or receptacle, and an outlet-cock a for drawing off the contents of said base or receptacle.

B B are two tubes or fiues extending from the receptacle a up into the heater A, their upper ends being covered with valves 1) b, as shown. By means of this construction alower receptacle is produced for containing water or chemicals, which, when the car or stove is overturned, will pass upwardly through fines B into the fire and immediately extinguish the same. To further insure the extinguishing of the fire we employ means, which will now be described, for applying water or chemicals to the upper portion thereof.

0 is a tank or receptacle located adj aeent or secured to the heater and provided with a short tube (l leading into said heater from above. This tank is provided with an upper supply-tube d, and a lower faucet d for drawing off the water or chemicals placed therein, when desired. A glasssight-tube d is secured to this tank.

Avalve D is fitted in an opening of tank C, leading into tube (1, the same being firmly held against its seat by a coil-spring d secured at its lower end to a pivoted arm (1 This arm (1 at one end is pivoted to the lower end of a depending bar d, secured to tank C, while its other shouldered end is engaged by v a lip d of a lever E, fulcrumed upon a second depending bar d To the outer end of this lever is secured a weighted ball 6, by means of a cord 6, connected thereto and to said ball. This ball is preferably partially filled with mercury, as shown in Fig. 1, and is normally supported so as to hold the cord slack by a glass or spring-metal bracket F secured at some convenient point, preferably to the heaterA. (See Fig. 1.) When thus supported,

the valve D is held closed. by the lever E, bearing against the shouldered end of pivoted arm d In practice, in the event of a collision or overturning of the heater or stove the ball 6 by falling off its bracket (the same being aided by the mercury contained therein) will draw down on the outer end of lever E, causing the tripping of the pivoted arm (Z and permitting the valve D to fly suddenly from its seat. Thus the water or chemicals in tank 0 will immediately flow through tube (1 to the fire in the heater, and thus in connection with the application from below promptly extinguishes the fire in said heater. It is obvious that either the lower or upper applications will eifect the desired result; but to hasten the same and avoid running any chances we prefer to use conjunctively the upper and lower receptacles, as described.

In Figs. 5 and 6 we have shown modified means for controlling the flow of the fluid from the upper tank or receptacle. In this construction we employ a spring-arm G for holding pivoted arm (1, said spring-arm being secured to a depending bar g, having a small pulley'g, over which the weighted cord 6 is passed.

A cord I (shown in Fig. 7) may be connected to the ball-supporting bracket F, and after being passed through an aperture in the end of the ear attached to the adjoining car, whereby in the event of the derailment of the latter the freeingof ball 6 is rendered doubly sure.

e claim as our invention 1. The combination, with a car-heater, of the upper receptacle secured thereto and having a tube leading into said heater, a springheld valve seated against the openingofsaid receptacle into said tube, a pivoted arm supporting said spring, and a weighted lever engaging said pivoted arm at one end, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a car-heater, ot' the upper receptacle having communication therewith and provided with a spring-held valve, a pivoted arm having a shouldered end and upon which said spring rests, a lever engaging said arm at one end, the weighted ball connected to the upper end of said lever, and the bracket supporting said ball, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this the 8th day of February, A. D. 1888.

FRANK M. BEOKFORD. EDGAR C. COVELL. \Vitnesscs.

STEPHEN S. JEWETT, TRUE W. THOMPSON. 

